Pipe bomb on to lab for further analysis

Sunday

Mar 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - The San Joaquin County Metro Bomb Squad has sent a pipe bomb found on a Stockton freeway overpass to a crime lab for further analysis, but authorities believe the device could have been dangerous.

The Record

STOCKTON - The San Joaquin County Metro Bomb Squad has sent a pipe bomb found on a Stockton freeway overpass to a crime lab for further analysis, but authorities believe the device could have been dangerous.

A pedestrian notified a sheriff's deputy after finding the pipe bomb Thursday morning on the Highway 99 overpass at Waterloo Road, authorities said.

Lab analysis will determine if the device contained explosive materials, but someone could have been hurt if the device functioned properly upon detonation, said Deputy Les Garcia, a spokesman for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.

"A device such as this could pose a serious threat," Garcia said. "Just picking it up or moving it could set it off. We want to advise the public that, if they come across a suspicious device, do not touch it and call 911. In this case, the pedestrian saw the suspicious device, alerted a deputy in the area, and nobody was injured, but had this device functioned properly, it could have caused serious injury."